BACKUPS, A LIVE LOOK FOR YOU NOW AT OUR TIME SAVER TRAFFIC MAP WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE
IMPACT. WE’LL KEEP AN EYE ON
THIS AND LET YOU KNOW WHEN IT
CLEARS UP.
>> RIGHT. IT’S A HOT TOPIC.
SCHOOL DRESS CODE AFTER THE
SAINT JOHNS COUNTY SCHOOL
DISTRICT OVERHAULED ITS POLICY
LAST YEAR. SOME PARENTS TELL
NEWS 4 JAX THEIR STUDENTS ARE
STILL RECEIVING.
>> UNFAIR VIOLATION. OTHER
PARENTS TELL US THEY’VE SEEN A
MARKED IMPROVEMENT AT SOME
SCHOOLS WITH HOW
ADMINISTRATORS IMPOSE THE
RULES FOR WHAT STUDENTS CAN
WEAR NEWS. 4 JAX REPORTER JOE
MCLEAN IS COVERED THE STORY
FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. JOE.
LAST YEAR’S CHANGES CAME AFTER
INTENSE EVEN NATIONWIDE BASH
BACKLASH.
>> YEAH, MANY MAY REMEMBER THE
BARTRAM TRAIL HIGH SCHOOL
YEARBOOK THING. WE’LL TALK
ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE. BUT
THIS ALL STARTED BECAUSE OF
COMPLAINTS ABOUT HOW THE
DISTRICT’S DRESS CODE POLICY
WAS WRITTEN AND HOW IT WAS IN
FORCE. MANY PARENTS WERE
COMPLAINING THAT IT
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED
FEMALE STUDENTS. SO LAST YEAR
THE DISTRICT CHANGED UP AND
MADE A BUNCH UPDATES TO THAT
DRESS CODE POLICY. BUT PARENTS
SAY, WELL.
>> SOME MORE UPDATES ARE STILL
NEEDED.
>> SOME PARENTS HAVE NOTICED A
CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR AND HOW
TO DRESS CODE RULES ARE BEING
ENFORCED. EMILY LIM HAS KIDS
IN THE DISTRICT AND SAID SHE
HEARD COMPLAINTS FROM PARENTS
AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE
YEAR. BUT SINCE
>> I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN KIDS
WALKING IN OUR SHORTS AND ALL
THAT STUFF. SO LAST WEEK MY
DAUGHTER DECIDED TO TRY IT.
SHE HAD A TEAR PRACTICE BEFORE
SCHOOL. SO SHE DECIDED TO JUST
STAY IN OR ATHLETIC SHORTS AND
SEE WHAT HAPPENED.
>> AND IT WAS FINE. SHE DIDN’T
GET DRESS CODED AND LIMBS.
DAUGHTER IS NOT ALONE. I HEARD
FROM SEVERAL PARENTS WHO SAY
THEIR CHILDREN ARE LEFT WITH A
CHOICE BETWEEN TESTING THE
LIMITS OF THE DRESS CODE RULES
TO SEE WHAT’S ACCEPTABLE AND
WHAT’S NOT OR TO GO TO SCHOOL
IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE OUTFIT
JUST TO AVOID A CONFLICT. ONE
PARENT WROTE ON A FACEBOOK
POST SAYING MY DAUGHTER HAS
BEEN WEARING MOSTLY LEGGINGS
AND JEANS TO AVOID GETTING
DRESS CODED AND SHE IS A HOT
SWEATY AND GRUMPY MASS FROM
RIDING HER BIKE IN PANTS.
MEANWHILE, A PARENT AT A
DIFFERENT SCHOOL SAID MY
DAUGHTER HAS FOR SURE BEEN
PUSHING THE LIMITS AND EVEN
MADE A COMMENT THAT NO ONE
WILL SAY ANYTHING. QUOTE
BECAUSE THEY WERE IN THE NEWS
LAST YEAR. SAINT JOHNS COUNTY
SCHOOLS ADOPTED A GENDER
NEUTRAL SET OF RULES DROPPED
TO 5 INCH INSEAM RULE FOR
SHORTS AND TOLD ADMINISTRATORS
TO AVOID EMBARRASSING STUDENTS
WHEN THEY RECEIVE A VIOLATION.
UP UNTIL RECENTLY, GIRLS WERE
NOT ALLOWED TO TANK TOPS. IT
JUST SEEMS ANTIQUATED, I GUESS
WOULD BE THE BEST WORD
COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAINT
JOHNS COUNTY SCHOOL’S DRESS
CODE INFAMOUSLY CAME TO A HEAD
IN THE SPRING OF 2021. WHEN
THE YEARBOOK AT BARTRAM TRAIL
HIGH SCHOOL FEATURED DIGITALLY
ALTERED PHOTOS OF AT LEAST 80
STUDENTS TO MAKE THEIR OUTFITS
APPEAR MORE MODEST. EVERY
SINGLE ONE OF THE EDITED
PHOTOS WERE OF FEMALE
STUDENTS. BUT EVEN BEFORE THAT
CONTROVERSY, A SERIES OF
REPORTS ABOUT UNFAIR FEMALE
DRESS. CODE ENFORCEMENT HAD
SPURRED AN ONGOING FEDERAL
TITLE 9 INVESTIGATION BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION’S
OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS.
THERE’S STILL WORK TO DO
BECAUSE THEY’RE STILL STUDENTS
THAT ARE. YOU KNOW, NOT ABLE
TO
>> GO TO SCHOOL AND WHETHER
APPROPRIATE CLOTHING, YOUR
AGE, APPROPRIATE
>> AND I JUST DON’T FEEL LIKE
THAT’S ACCEPTABLE.
>> WE DID ASK THE DISTRICT FOR
THE NUMBER OF DRESS CODE
VIOLATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
HANDED OUT SO FAR THIS YEAR.
BUT WE WEREN’T ABLE TO GET A
HOLD OF THAT INFORMATION IN
TIME FOR THIS BROADCAST
REPORTING LIVE FROM CLEAR
CHANNEL 4, THE LOCAL STATION.
>> JOE, THE DISTRICT ALSO ASK
PARENTS FOR FEEDBACK ABOUT THE
DRESS CODE AND YOU HAVE SOME
OF THOSE SURVEY RESULTS.
>> YEAH, PARENTS WILL REMEMBER
LAST YEAR GETTING THE IT
LOOKED AT PARENTS A SERIES OF
QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THEY
VIEWED DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF OF
THE DRESS CODE POLICY. WHAT
THEY WANTED TO SEE CHANGE ONE
NOTABLE RESULT, I WANT TO
BRING UP THE PROMPTED SAID
CLOTHING.
>> THIS WAS A PROMPT GIVING
PARENTS CLOTHING MUST COVER
AREAS FROM ONE ARMPIT TO THE
OTHER ARM PIT DOWN TO 5 INCHES
IN LENGTH ON THE UPPER THIGH
TOPS MUST HAVE SHOULDER STRAPS
AND BE LONG ENOUGH TO
ADEQUATELY COVER THE WAISTLINE
AND NOT EXPOSE MID RIGHT NOW.
THIS WAS A BIG, BIG QUESTION.
BUT THE RESULT WAS PRETTY
SUNNY. 88 1% OF SURVEY TAKERS
EITHER AGREED OR STRONGLY
AGREED WITH THAT 12%. WE’RE
AGAINST IT. THAT’S OUT OF MORE
THAN 10,000 RESULTS. BACK TO